new here, seeking advice on workout

[piperjason]

Hi all.

I am relatively new to working out as I started this spring after trying to water ski only to be able to hang on for a short time before back and arms gave up.

I'm 26, 5'4" and 145 lbs. I actually have put on about 20 lbs this past year, another reason to work out.

Anyway I don't have a gym membership and only use body weight exercises. routine is pull-ups (palms out), "atomic situps" (knees and chest meet, legs held straight out), "hindu pushups" (butt in the air, sweeping forward, pushing back), "hindu squats" (free squats where heels almost meet butt going down), handstand pushups, and calf raises.

Since I have started squats and situps have gone up a lot but I am getting slow gains in the pullups and pushups. I only recently added the calf raises which are gaining quickly and the handstands, which I don't know yet.

Right now I can do about the following

pullup - 8-9
situp 61
pushup 26-30
squat 75
handstand 6-7
calf 35

I do each exercise once until failure. Are these numbers good? I am gaining too slowly? Should i change the way I do them? I try to workout monday-friday, and I have also tried every alternate day but nothing seems to help.

I am considering doing upperbody in the morning and lower at night to see if that makes a difference. I can say that I have noticed muscle growth/tone in chest arms and thighs though.

[swanso5]

search your body is a barbell by alwyn cosgrove